Diagnosis: Possible intestinal blockage 
Cost of Care: $1,728 | Reimbursed: $1,282 
Coverage: 80 percent | $100 deductible  

Charlie is a 9-month-old Chihuahua who loves other dogs and is constantly angling for a playdate, said her pet parent Elizabeth. She loves chasing her ball around and playing hide-and-seek with Elizabeth. 

As with most puppies, Charlie had a strong need to chew while teething. Her favorite thing to chew is a chicken flavored Nylabone. Unfortunately, she recently tried to consume one.

"I didn't think a 10-pound Chihuahua puppy could cause that much damage but alas, I was wrong. She proceeded to ingest one-third of it in minutes. After coughing up the hairball laced with said chew toy, she missed eating both dinner and breakfast the next day,” Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth called her vet, who advised her to immediately take Charlie to the emergency vet for a possible blockage. The vets took an X-ray and some blood work. The blood work came out clean, but something showed up in her intestine on the X-ray, so they ordered an ultrasound.  

Thankfully, the ultrasound indicated no blockage but the vets did spot a cyst on her uterine horn. Since she is getting spayed soon, it was not a concern. Charlie was able to come home that day.

Charlie has recovered from the incident and is thriving.

“Charlie is thankfully doing very well. She is still very finicky with food but other than that, she is growing into a beautiful, healthy girl,” Elizabeth said.

While Charlie’s condition only required fluids and painkillers, the vet bill totaled $1,728, with the vast majority of that going to the X-rays, ultrasound, blood work, and other diagnostic tests. This is a prime example of how the diagnosis of a condition—even if the condition doesn’t exist—can end up costing more than the treatment itself.  

Elizabeth had decided to get pet insurance for her little dog because she knew that puppies tend to get into everything, and she wanted to be prepared should Charlie develop any health issues later. She found Healthy Paws to be the best fit. She also is familiar with Chubb Insurance, Healthy Paws’ parent company. 

“The coverage is exactly what I needed, the deductible was very reasonable and the percent reimbursed was fantastic,” she said.

The claim scenarios described here are intended to show the types of situations that may result in claims. These scenarios should not be compared to any other claim. Whether or to what extent a particular loss is covered depends on the facts and circumstances of the loss, the terms and conditions of the policy as issued, and applicable law.

Insured persons providing testimonials in this report have not received compensation for their statements.